


They Placed Him in Charge of a Coffee Grinder

by thomasjeffer_sin



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Lams - Freeform, M/M, Senseless fluff, blink and you'll miss it herclaf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-15 20:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thomasjeffer_sin/pseuds/thomasjeffer_sin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poor little overworked Ham was in need of coffee, a cute barista was willing to help him… And flirt a little.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic for Hamilton! I'm not sure how long it'll end up being, but I've got at least a couple of chapters for it. If you have the time, you should check out my tumblr @thomasjeffer-sin for more Quality Hamilton Content. Thanks for reading! :D
> 
> http://thomasjeffer-sin.tumblr.com/post/145720739884/lams-modern-day-coffee-shop-au-fic

Alexander had been awake since he got home from work Friday night. Washington needed a fifteen page essay on his desk by Monday morning, so he had little choice but to slog through his weekend hours in a haze of typing and caffeinated drinks. His final stages of editing had only just begun when he drained his latest cup of coffee. When his tired eyes darted across the same line repeatedly he realized he was unable to absorb what he had read. Heaving his exhausted body out of the leather chair, he padded towards the kitchen.

Alexander scooped a rounded mound of grounds into the coffee machine, long ago having lost the ability to carefully measure anything. He closed the machine and pressed the button. Normally it would have immediately began to hum and brew. No such noises occurred. He pushed the button again. Nothing. Upon a quick investigation (it was definitely plugged in) he came to the only conclusion his foggy brain could muster: broken. Of course.

Grumbling, he pulled on a coat too light for the winter air and thought maybe a brisk walk would be enough to wake him up. While he was out he could stop by the coffee shop around the corner. He hoped it was still open, but he wasn't liking his odds. It was already 9pm. As he stepped into the night air he heaved an irritated sigh. The cold only frayed his tired nerves further. He started stomping off towards the store partially to warm his freezing feet and partially to blow off excess frustration.

Alexander reached the door right as the sole man inside was flipping the open sign to closed. They made eye contact. Alexander felt more aware than he had in hours - specifically aware of what a mess he was. The wind was flipping loose strands of his half-bunned hair against his face, the bags under his eyes sagged heavy and dark, and he could feel the redness coloring his parched eyes. The employee hesitated for a moment before flipping the sign back to open with a hint of a grin. He opened the door, waving him in. Alexander's shoulders relaxed for what had to have been the first time since Friday as he walked into the toasty store.

"Thank you so much," Alex said. The worker shook his head, his curly ponytail swaying behind him.

"No worries, I kinda felt bad for closing up early. You're my chance at a clean conscious." Alex chuckled and the man broke into a full smile. Alex's eyes darted to his name tag, John Laurens.

"Well, John, since I'm helping you out, how 'bout you help me."

"Sure, what'll you have..."

"Alexander Hamilton. Alex," He supplied. John nodded as he strolled behind the counter, grabbing a cup and scribbling away.

"What'll you have, Alex?"

"Whatever gets my essay done fastest." John laughed (Alex could get used to hearing that laugh) and got to work. Alex stood by the counter watching the man fly from station to station. His tired body begged him to take a seat, but he felt guilty at the idea of getting comfortable while John worked. Instead he opted for switching between pretending to be interested in the CDs on the counter display and stealing sly glances at the man fixing his drink.

Freckles decorated John's entire face in the most endearing way. When he smiled the corners of his eyes crinkled. He must've been focusing on a particularly difficult step in the drink crafting ritual, because his eyebrows pushed creases into view on his forehead. When the pink tip of his tongue darted out of his mouth in concentration Alexander couldn't remember why he came to the coffee shop in the first place. In his momentary lapse of judgment, he also forgot to be sneaky in assessing the man before him, only to be reminded when John caught him staring.

John didn't seem to mind, Alex ducked his head in shame anyway. Alex couldn't quite tell from peripheral vision alone, but he was almost sure John was blushing. What a sight that would be. He wanted to look up, really drink it in, but he was too embarrassed from being caught to look again. The two remained silent until John finished his drink.

"There you go, one Caffè Americano. Three shots of espresso, blah blah, fancy coffee stuff. Basically, sleep be damned, get your shit done!" Alex felt it appropriate to meet John's eyes again as he took the cup. Alex couldn't tell who's fault it was when their fingers brushed.

"Thank you. You're a real lifesaver. My coffee machine chose tonight to break and I don't know how much longer I could've survived without caffeine." John shrugged.

"Caffeinating the overworked public is what I live for." Alex hesitated for a second as John emerged from behind the counter. The man before him stretched his lean arms behind him to untie his apron. If Alexander had done such a task, it would've come off as awkward. Yet somehow John was able to inject a certain grace into the menial tasks Alexander had witnessed tonight. Perhaps it was his under rested state, (or the fact that he had such a bland social life that he was willing to work through the weekend) but he ached terribly to invite this stranger back to his apartment. He wrestled with the thought as John finished tidying up some minor messes. Once he was satisfied with the state of the store, he sighed contentedly and retrieved his belongings.

"Well, Alex, I'm glad I could help you out." John said as he zipped up his coat. Alex raised his cup.

"My essay and tired ass thank you." Alex said before internally smacking himself. That did not sound nearly as charming as he thought it would. John began walking towards the door, Alex's time was running out.

"Um, listen!” Alex started in far too much of a hurry. John stopped and turned to face him.

"Normally I'd come up with some better way to word this - and normally I'd look a lot better while saying it," he pushed some hair out of his face, "but I think you're incredibly handsome and I was wondering if you'd give me your number. You know, so when I'm in a better state of mind I can text you all of the witty banter I couldn't think up tonight?" John stared blankly for a moment. His laughter started as a low giggle and grew in volume - expanding, filling the room, warming Alex's face with an embarrassed blush.

"I'm a writer. I swear I can make better words," Oh god why. He stopped scrambling for an excuse with a sigh.

"I'm not normally this much of a mess." John turned and continued walking towards the door, the last of his laughter subsiding. Alex's heart sank. His rejection wasn't a surprise, but it still stung.

"Did I spell your name right on your cup, Alexander?" John said as he pulled the door open. Alex checked. A phone number was already written under his name. Dumbstruck, he looked up to see John retreating into the cold night air. Alex remained planted to the closed store's floor. Man, was he going to be pissed if this was a dream and he woke up to a face full of keyboard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a cute boy gives you a phone number, your good judgment might go out the window. When your good judgment goes out the window, you might end up visiting him the very next day at work. When you visit him the very next day at work, things might happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter yoooooo. This is already posted on my Tumblr (@thomasjeffer-sin)
> 
> http://thomasjeffer-sin.tumblr.com/post/145924017608/lams-modern-day-coffee-shop-au-fic-part-2

Alexander decided calling the day after receiving a number was far too soon. However, going to the coffee shop where a beautiful man gave him said number seemed completely reasonable. For all Alex knew, John wouldn't even be working. Plus, his place of work happened to be the closest coffee shop to Alex's apartment. In the right light, John might have looked like the desperate one. After all, he's the one who chose to work just down the street.

Lost in thought, Alex managed to reach the end of the block before it registered that he had blown past the coffee shop. Upon realizing, he decided to circle back around. A little more time to clear his head before possibly coming face to face with a man whose smile made him forget every intelligent thought he'd ever had was probably not the worst idea. Besides, Alex needed to breathe. He was working himself into a tizzy over someone he had met just hours ago. He was getting ahead of himself, as he was prone to do. Once an idea wormed its way into his brain it tended to take up most of his focus. The habit was great when came to his writings. However, it quickly got Alex into trouble when a special person caught his attention. He said he wouldn't do this again, said he would fight it harder next time. Yet here he was, circling a coffee shop, trying to work up the nerve to just walk in the damn place and-

He walked by the store again. Alex cursed internally and decided one more lap around the block wouldn't hurt. In fact, a couple more laps sounded just wonderful. The sharp sting of icy air on his cheeks and nose almost felt refreshing. Having lips so cold-chapped that they cracked was a feeling he could learn to live with - especially if it meant avoiding his fears.

After a couple more laps, Alex realized he wasn't covering any new ground in his thoughts. He was just circling physically and mentally around the possibility of John. When he was ten feet past the store, about to start his fifth lap, he finally stopped. His feet were going numb in his thin shoes and he had neglected to put on a scarf or hat. Hands buried deep in his coat pockets, he wiggled his fingers. They could be in better shape, a little stiff from the cold. He gathered his resolve, took a sobering breath of winter air, and turned back towards the store.

Pushing the door open, Alex was immediately rewarded for his bravery. The store greeted him with a wash of relieving heat. He looked behind the counter expectantly. A girl with dark hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail chatted with a customer while she fixed their coffee. No charming, freckled men shared her work space. Alex deflated slightly, but decided since he'd put so much time into getting here he might as well warm up.

As Alex approached the counter, a man came around the corner. Cleaning a coffee mug, he made eye contact with Alex from across the store. He hesitated for just a moment before carrying on with his work. John. He had a knowing smile on his face and Alex's cheeks reddened from something other than his newly forming frostbite. They met at the counter.

"Hi," Alex practically forced out.

"Hello, Alex. Nice to see you again," John said, setting the mug down and throwing the cloth over his shoulder.

"Or should I say, again... and again, and again, and again," John smirked, but it didn't seem to be in malice. Alex was no less embarrassed. There was a warmth in John's eyes, he thought. It was like it brought a sort of sweet, genuine happiness to him to catch Alex in his embarrassing little roundabout.

"Oh, so you saw that?" Alex replied meekly. John nodded. Alex didn't know what to do. In all honesty, he had lost his mental footing the second he stepped out of his apartment. He didn't know how to get it back.

"It was really cute," A sweet voice chimed in. Alex and John looked over. The girl with the ponytail was handing another customer their change. She joined them.

"John's been talking about you all day. I was hoping you'd stop in so I could see if you were as cute as John said," the girl looked Alex up and down.

"Not bad," she said to John who had buried his face in his hands.

"Eliza, why?" John groaned into his palms. Alex's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them for a second. John's reaction made it seem like she was telling the truth. John had talked about him. John had talked about him all day. Footing regained, Alex charged onward.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Alexander Hamilton. Or Alex, as I'm sure our dear John has told you," He held out his hand for Eliza while giving John a playful look. Eliza anticipated a handshake but instead Alex brought her hand to his lips and bowed to press a gentle kiss to the back of it. Upon release, she immediately turned to John.

"Take a break, John. Sit down with this poor man. He walked around the block five times for you," Eliza said.

"Hey! It was only four," Alex defended weakly. John and Eliza laughed.

"Eliza, I'm not taking my break this early," he looked at Alex from under his eyelashes. Cute. Alex couldn't help but think he was doing it on purpose.

"Although I would love to meet up with Alex later... If he'd be interested."

"Of course," Alex replied with a smile.

"Wonderful!" Eliza clapped, "John's shift is over at 6! He'll see you then!" John laughed at his friend's enthusiasm, but after this exchange Alex was certain John was just as excited.

"Wonderful indeed. I'll see you then, John." Alex said. Fruitlessly, he tried to suppress his smile. The corners of his lips curled up stubbornly as John waved him away. John was failing to keep his own emotions at bay.

With his evening plans set, Alex turned to leave - completely bypassing ordering anything. He practically floated past the line of agitated costumes who had actually come in for a reason other than to witness a round of relentless flirting. He hardly noticed. Alex was too busy riding the waves of his afternoon pick-me-up. Forget caffeine, the buzz he felt around John Laurens was more than enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's a man to do when he's faced with free time he doesn't want? Idk, probably something rash and dumb. Good ol' Ham.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pumpin' 'em out kids! Chapter 4 is on its way! I hope you like it. Also, if you have the time, consider dropping me a line here or on my tumblr @thomasjeffer-sin. Thank you for the kudos and comments!

The last few days hadn't exactly gone as Alex had planned. It all started to go downhill Sunday night when John didn't show up for their date. Alex arrived exactly ten minutes early, more than prepared to make eyes at John until he finished up his shift. After that, Alex planned to escort him to a restaurant just down the block. Alex had spent the hours leading up to their date researching what restaurants in the area were within walking distance, had the widest menu options, and had the best reviews.

  
The effort made mattered little when no one was around to enjoy the fruits of Alex’s labor. John was nowhere to be found. Alex hung around for a couple minutes (perhaps John was busy doing work in the back of the shop) before he approached the counter to ask the barista if John was around.

"He's not," the man replied curtly.

"Do you know where he is?" Alex asked. The man shrugged.

"He wasn't here when I came in," he said to which Alex huffed a confused sigh.

"Oh... Well, thanks anyway." He quickly left the store. Alex pulled off one of his gloves with his teeth and took out his phone. He began to draft a text to John as he walked home. The message had to have just the right amount of laidback, coolness without seeming aloof; it had to show that Alex missed seeing him without coming off as desperate. Most of all, it had to compel answers. Alex knew he was pinning too much on a single text message, but this was their first correspondence. The writer in him couldn't take such an important moment lightly. Before he knew it, he was back at his apartment and had yet to come up with an eloquent text. After plopping himself down on the couch to comfortably conduct several rewrites, Alex settled: _I stopped by the coffee shop around 6, I didn't see you. I hope you're okay. Let me know when you're free; I hope we can reschedule._

Without meaning to, Alex stayed up until 4 in the morning waiting for a response. He took breaks to mess around on his laptop and edit a couple of essays, but mostly he sat, thought, checked his phone, and thought some more. Playing back his earlier interaction with John provided no answers. He couldn't figure out what had gone wrong. As he finally began to nod off, his last thoughts centered around selfishly hoping John had gotten tied up in some sort of family emergency.

* * *

Alex could've sworn he had dragged his ass to bed last night. He hadn't. There had been no alarm by his couch to wake him up on time for work. Brushing his teeth while dressing, forgoing breakfast, and speeding did nothing to turn back the clock. He arrived over an hour late and only remembered when he stumbled in the front door that he had an essay due for Washington. Shit. This was not going to go well. Alex hoped he could sneak to a printer and run off a copy of his paper before Washington caught him; he had no such luck. The first person he ran into was the man himself.

"Glad you could join us, Alexander," Washington said. His facial expression gave nothing away, yet Alex still began to sweat.

"Please join me in my office," Even as Washington turned and walked away, Alex couldn't bring his feet to move. At this point insubordination would destroy what little chance there was of keeping his job, but he just couldn't get going. He didn't want to hear what Washington was going to say. A strong hand on his back shoved him forward, back to reality. Alex turned to see Lafayette staring at him angrily as they walked.

"Get your shit together man, _quick_ ," Lafayette whispered before shoving him away to make his walk of shame alone. Once inside Washington's office, Alex closed the door. It felt as though Washington was towering over Alex, even while sitting behind his desk.

"Young man, we discussed this just last week-" Alex's mind jolted to attention.

"I know we did, but sleeping in one day doesn't mean I'm overworked. I finished that paper Saturday night, I was up late last night because I was out with the guys," a small lie - Washington didn't need to know he spent his Sunday night pining.

"It was a bad idea, I know, but hey! I was relaxing like you wanted," Alex finished in a rush. He could've said more, he could've said it better. Before he had the chance to revise, Washington raised a hand to stop him.

"Son, even if you had finished that essay Friday night, I still would have pulled you into my office today. You're one of our best writers, but you're falling apart. Honestly, I'm glad you went out with friends last night, I want you to do more of that. I also want you to sleep. Starting now. Go home, Alexander,"

"But, sir!" Alex lurched forward. Washington stood, hands splayed across the dark, polished wood of his desk.

"This matter is not up for debate. You're taking a break. Now," the finality in Washington's voice weighed on Alex as he dragged himself to his desk. He gathered a few of his things. Lafayette looked over nervously. Their eyes met and Alex shook his head solemnly.

On the bright side Alex hadn't thought about John all morning. Unfortunately, it appeared John hadn't thought about him either - he had yet to respond to last night's text. Alex drove home in a daze. A white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel his only grounding point in reality. He was at a loss as to how everything seemed to slip through his fingers so suddenly. The streets he drove down were an indistinguishable mess of shapes and colors. Yet when the coffee shop passed outside his passenger window, something stood out sharply against the world’s fuzzy edges. A sign.

On a normal day, the thought would have never crossed his mind. However, when working under the influence of being stood up, losing his job, and being sleep deprived Alex was compelled to walk to the store, rip down the "now hiring" sign, and return home to work on his résumé. In that instant, time was no longer a scarce resource for Alex, so he carefully combed his past work experiences into something that could be of interest to a coffee shop. Despite his thoroughness, he finished his application within the hour. Thankfully John wasn't around when he went to turn it in.

When he arrived home, he checked his phone. He had a message, but it was from Lafayette.

_I talked to Washington, he said he'd email you when you can come back. Don't worry, it's not permanent, he's just worried you're going to have a heart attack if you keep working like this... I understand his concern. Just rest for a few weeks, mon ami._

Alex had to laugh at his friend's silly, yet well meaning suggestion. For God's sake - they'd known each other since college! Lafayette has had more than enough time to realize that Alexander Hamilton doesn't rest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What John was thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I've had this done for a bit, but I've been sitting on it, making minor edits and stuff. I'm finally happy with it - I hope you are too! 
> 
> Kudos are appreciated, comments are loved, ghost readers are welcome.
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr @thomasjeffer-sin

"John, you let that poor man go for three whole days? If you don't text him back this instant I'm going to steal him from you," John groaned at Eliza in response.

"I panicked, okay? Besides, don't they say it's better to play hard to get? That's supposed to keep 'em interested or something."

"He walked around the block six times before he worked up the courage to come talk to you! I don't think he could get more interested without us needing to get the police involved."

"It was only four time," John mumbled.

"He's clearly smitten, and so are you. I don't understand why you're acting like this," Eliza said. She was clearly annoyed with his behavior, but she remained cool and collected as ever. John didn't completely understand his actions either. He was certain Alex had some interest in him - the man sort of made a fool of himself proving as much - yet he remained cautiously optimistic at best. Perhaps it was the because they were in such different stages of their lives. Despite the fact that they appeared to be around the same age, Alex was much more invested in his work - and that was just one of the reasons John found the man intimidating. Although, to be fair, how invested could John be in brewing fancy coffee?

"You deserve to be happy," Eliza paused for a second, a smile tugged at the corners of her lips, "and if you aren't happy with him, give him to me. I deserve to be happy, too." John shoved Eliza playfully, drawing a giggle from her. He stood and stretched. Their breaks never lasted long enough, especially not when their customer base consisted mostly of cranky assholes who couldn't function without their morning coffee.

John always longed for more time to hide away from his responsibilities. Usually he just wanted to continue goofing around with Eliza. Today his motivations were legitimate. When he emerged from his break, he was faced with none other than the man he stood up. John nearly knocked Eliza down when he jumped back through the door to the back of the store.

"What's wrong with you?" She blurted out too loudly. John hushed her.

"Alex is here," He whispered urgently. Based on her still frustrated look, his answer didn't suffice.

"Good, you can explain yourself and beg for another chance," she huffed.

"Eliza, no-" She pushed John out of the room right as Alex reached the counter. Great. They stared at each other for a moment, equally shocked. Alex was the first to recover.

"Hey, John!" he smiled brightly. For some reason he seemed happy to see him despite his (as Eliza had put it) jackassery a few days ago. Good, if Alex was feeling friendly it would be much easier to explain his stupid actions.

"Hey, Alex. What can I get for you?" Okay, so explaining things was still going to be hard. He had to work up to it.

"Oh, actually I'm here for an interview." Not unusual, John had seen a few employers conduct their interviews at the coffee shop.

"That's great! Where are you applying?" John asked. Alex looked confused.

"I'm applying here."

"I thought you were a writer, you had an essay due-" John started, but Alex shook his head. His smile melted into something forced, uncomfortable.

"I was sort of... laid off," Alex ran his hand through his hair, frustration clearly building just from recounting the story, "Washington was worried I was going to type my fingers off, and that's not covered by company insurance," John bit back a grin, "But I guess cutting me loose for a month is?" John was further relieved at Alex's humor towards the situation.

"You've got to be the first person I've met who has willingly sought out a job in food service instead of enjoying their break from their cushy office job. I mean, it seems like you're in pretty good standings there if the boss is making you take time off for your own well being. I'd be taking full advantage." Alex shrugged in response.

"I don't know what to do with myself when I'm not working. Besides, the only other thing I'd really be interested in doing is seeing you so, two birds, ya know?" John blushed, he wasn't prepared for the flirting to resume so quickly, but he was happy it had. He hadn't even apologized, yet Alex was treating him as if nothing had happened.

"Hey, listen, about the other day..." Alex waved away his explanation.

"Stuff comes up, it's not a problem." John wished he could accept that, but his guilt didn't dissipate. He resolved to discuss the matter with him at a better time. A conversation about emotions probably wasn't the best way to prepare for an interview. Just then, a man slightly over-dressed for the coffee shop approached.

"John, can you please direct," he checked his papers, "Alexander Hamilton to the booth in the back when he arrives?" Alex perked up.

"That's me, sir," he said eagerly, offering a hand to shake. The man accepted with a pleased look.

"Ah, Alexander, you're early. Wonderful. Right this way," Alex let his interviewer take the lead. When the man's back was turned he took the opportunity to throw a wink at John over his shoulder.

"Wish me luck," Alex said, then caught up with his interviewer. John wanted to melt into the floor. Alex couldn't get this job. He didn't know if he had the mental stamina required to keep up with the man. There was no way John could spend his shifts in a constant state of Alex-induced haze. How was he supposed to function while working with a non-stop flirt? On the bright side, Alex would certainly look cute in their uniform...

"Um, excuse me, young man?" John's eyes refocused on a small, elderly woman in front of him. He wondered how long he had zoned out.

"Oh, good afternoon, ma'am. What'll you have?"

"I already placed my order."

Of course. John was completely screwed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello! 
> 
> ...can I just say I have no idea what my endgame for this fic is? No clue. That can't be good. Anyway, prepare for some cute friend antics in this chapter and some cute crush antics in the next ;)
> 
> Find me on tumblr @thomasjeffer-sin!
> 
> As always, all comments, kudos, and readers can expect eternal love from me.

"So, you're going to work during the time Washington specifically gave you off so you could rest." It was hard to see in the dimly lit bar, but Hercules looked as confused as Lafayette sounded. Alex nodded.

"Yep! At a coffee shop." They remained skeptical. Alex understood. A month ago he would've never expected to be in this situation. His state of employment hadn't fluctuated this much since his time as a freelance writer. When he landed the job in Washington's office, he figured he'd kicked those days to the curb. The past week had been an uneasy one. Thankfully, today he landed firmly in the graces of having a occupation once more; the email arrived earlier that day confirming he got the job at the coffee shop. He figured that was as good a reason as any to ask his friends out for the first time since he'd been laid off.

"Do you even know how to make coffee like that?" Hercules asked. Alex shrugged.

"There's training. I'll figure it out along the way."

"Okay... I just don't understand why you'd," Lafayette waved his hand around, trying to pluck the right words out of the air, "want to waste your time on this shit?" That was one way to put it. Alex shrugged again.

"You know how I am. I have to do something or I get stir crazy." Hercules took a swig of his beer and slung an arm over Lafayette's shoulders. He was more than happy to let his boyfriend hash this out with their friend on his own.

"Bullshit. There's more to this. You care about writing, sure, but you're not so desperate to fill your time that you'd go and work at some random coffee shop," Lafayette said, eyes narrowed. Alex knew there was no point in hiding his true motives. Lafayette's a smart man, he'd figure it out eventually. A relenting sigh escaped him. He waved down a waiter to order another round. Perhaps liquoring his friends up a little more would soften their response. The dance to carefully avoid his motives for procuring his job continued on a little longer. However, the more he stalled, the more impatient Lafayette grew. No matter how hard Alex tried to direct the conversation elsewhere, he dragged it back to the coffee shop.

Not seeing Lafayette everyday at the office was hard, he missed him. What he hadn't missed was having someone who could see right through him. When Hercules began to shift uncomfortably under the building tension between the two men, Alex decided to rip the bandage off.

"Okay, you wanna know why I'm doing this?" Lafayette nodded, immediately smiling so wide his eyes pushed closed. He certainly did love winning, almost as much as Alex hated losing. He huffed, took another sip of his beer, and got on with it.

"There's a guy." Lafayette dramatically fell back into the cushion of the booth and rolled his eyes. Hercules threw his head back with a groan, letting his hands land hard on the table in a disappointed thump. A few customers turned to look at them.

"This! This is why I didn't tell you!" Alex pointed accusingly at the pair. They continued their grumbling.

"Dude, I know you're hard up, but you don't have to get a job to get laid," Hercules said.

"I'm not trying to get laid," unconvinced eyes laid heavy on Alex, he amended, "I'm not _just_ trying to get laid." Lafayette sat back up.

"Well, I suppose having sex would relax you, which is what Washington wants," Lafayette said, feigning an expression of deep contemplation. Alex cringed at his wording.

"Can we please not mention my boss and my sex life in the same breath?"

"Prude," Hercules said with a laugh. His friends enjoyed getting a rise out of him - not that that was a difficult task.

"You know we jest because we love," Lafayette said, clapping a hand on Alex's shoulder. It was Alex's turn to roll his eyes. He shrugged the hand off. Lafayette curled back into Hercules' side.

"So when do we get to meet him?" Hercules asked.

"A double date must occur as soon as possible," Lafayette added, nodding in agreement. Alex appreciated the support, however the idea of introducing John to the pair was scary to say the least. While he didn't seem like the type to scare easy, Alex wanted to play it safe for a bit. Lafayette and Hercules knew several unsavory tales from Alex's college days which they were not above sharing. John didn't need to know all of the gritty details about Alex from the get-go.

"How 'bout I get to know the guy a little better before we plan any group outings? I was thinking I could take him on some dates first. Singular dates. As in just one couple going out together without the presence of another, more... overbearing couple." Lafayette and Hercules pulled offended faces.

"Alexander, rude! You speak so poorly of your closest friends, I would hate to see how you treat your enemies." Lafayette scolded.

"Yeah, well I'm paying for your drinks, so I think I deserve to get a couple shots in," Alex said throwing down some money on the table.

"Man, it's barely 11," Hercules said with a frown.

"Sorry, guys. Gotta be up early tomorrow. I've got training. Besides, I'm sure your foreplay will be more efficient without my third-wheeling." Alexander slid out from the booth.

"Bonne soirée, you lovesick, little man," Lafayette called after him. Hercules echoed his goodbye, but half-heartedly - probably already imagining he and his boyfriend's activities later that night.

Alex stuck his hands in his coat pockets as he exited the warmth of the bar. The night air cut right through his pleasant buzz. Sobering up so quickly was not what he had had in mind, but he supposed it was for the best. His head was swimming with all of the possibilities tomorrow offered - one distraction on his way home was plenty. Alex tried to tamp down his excitement with the thought of the restless customers he'd be surrounded by tomorrow. It didn't work. All he could think about was how wonderful it would be to spend his day with John.

 


End file.
